Generations Book 2: When the World Crashes Down
by Pandora of Ithilien
Summary: The Marauders, Jazlyn, and Lily have left Hogwarts, and now have to make lives for themselves. Juggling jobs, Order work, and later, kids, means it won't be easy, but they manage. Until one night in 1981 changes everything...
1. On Her Way

Disclaimer: Jazlyn is mine, that's about it.

_**Chapter 1 - On Her Way:**_ Two weeks after Jazlyn Temaida left Hogwarts, she was called down to the _Daily Prophet's _offices for an interview with the editor, Matthew Darcy. She had sent in her application two days before she'd left school, and once her N.E.W.T.s came in (O's in Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Herbology, and Charms, E's in D.A.D.A., Transfiguration, and Potions, A in Astronomy), she'd sent the results on.

She got to the building and was directed to Mr. Darcy's office. He was a thin man with receding brown hair, who peered at her over a pair of reading glasses as she came in. "Temaida, is it?" he asked. She nodded, and he held out his hand. She shook it and then took a seat when he told her too.

"I've been looking at your grades. You could have any number of jobs. Why here?" he said without preamble. Jazlyn shrugged.

"I've always been good at gathering information, and at recording what I see. Being a journalist... it just seems to suit me."

"All right, that makes some sense," he said. "But you've never done any real journalistic work."

"No, sir, because Hogwarts doesn't have a student newspaper."

"Don't call me Sir. It's Mr. Darcy, or even just Darcy. You're not a student anymore, Temaida."

"All right, S- Mr. Darcy." If he was correcting her way of addressing him...

"Sayre! Get in here!" he yelled suddenly. Jazlyn jumped; she hadn't been expecting that. A tall, wiry man with thick, steel colored hair walked in.

"Yeah, Darcy?"

"This is Jazlyn Temaida, the newest recruit. I want you to train her." Sayre nodded and looked at Jazlyn.

"Welcome to bedlam, Jazlyn," he said with a smile. "Meet me at my desk once our esteemed editor kicks you out," he added before leaving.

"So I have the job then?" Jazlyn asked, just to be sure.

"'Course you do, Temaida," Mr. Darcy said. "Why do you think I called Sayre in here? Now off with you!" Jazlyn couldn't help the wide smile as she left, heading over to Sayre's desk.

"Mr. Sayre?"

"Call me Justin. Do you mind me calling you Jazlyn?"

"No, not at all."

"Good. So, you've decided on journalism. I'll tell you right now, if you plan on being like Rita over there, you can find a new trainer. I don't like her style." He scowled.

"That won't be a problem, Justin. My boyfriend once said I'd wind up the 'anti-Skeeter'." Justin chuckled.

"That you will, with me around. So, I've got to go cover a Wizengamot trial, and you're coming along. I want you to hang back when I do interviews, watch how I handle it. Take notes during the trial, I'll look 'em over after and tell you if you missed anything important." Jazlyn nodded and they were off.

After the trial and subsequent interviews - which included a short one with Dumbledore, who winked at Jazlyn - Justin looked over Jazlyn's notes. "Bloody Hell, woman, these are better than mine!"

"Well," Jazlyn said, "I did just leave school, I'm used to notetaking."

"Apparently. Now I'll have to put you in the byline, since I'm stealing your notes and chucking mine."

"Are you supposed to do that?"

"It's my choice, and Darcy and I are old friends anyway. He won't care." He gave Jazlyn an impish grin that made her think of Sirius and James. "Well, see you tomorrow. Darcy likes us in by nine, I bet he didn't mention that."

"No, and thanks for the tip. Bye, Justin." She Disapparated.

"So, what took so long?" Ted asked when she walked downstairs from her room.

"I got the job, and the editor wanted my training to start right off," Jazlyn said, unalbe to stifle a wide grin.

"Are you gonna be in the paper?" Nymph asked

"Yeah. How do you like that?" Jazlyn replied, tousling Nymph's neon green hair.

"It's cool."

"Congratulations," Andie said, smiling.

"Thanks. I'm going to make a firecall, OK?"

"Go ahead."

Jazlyn's call was to Remus. She'd have called Sirius first, but he and James were off on some Auror pre-training thing and were out of contact. He was happy for her, though nervous about his own upcoming interview.

"You'll do fine," she assured him. "And as for your lycanthropy, well, the goblins won't mind. In fact, I think they like the idea of hiring someone who most wizards would scorn. Considering their attitudes toward wizards."

"True," Remus agreed. "So, I guess when Sirius gets back, you'll go running over to the Potters'?"

"Probably." They chatted for a little longer before Remus had to go. Then Jazlyn wrote a letter to Lily, sending it with Ciaran, the household owl. Then she went back to her room, flopping onto her bed and grinning happily at the ceiling. Finally, she was on her way.

A/N: So, here's the first chapter of When the World Crashes Down. I hope you enjoyed reading. R&R!


	2. Working at the Prophet

Disclaimer: Jazlyn and the majority of her coworkers are mine; that's about it.

_**Chapter 2 - Working at the **__**Prophet**_ The next day, Jazlyn arrived promptly at nine, heading right for Justin's desk. He grinned and handed her a hot-off-the-presses copy of that morning's paper as she sat down. On the third page was the article about the trial, and after the first line of the byline (_Justin Sayre, Senior Correspondent_) was _Jazlyn Temaida, Junior Correspondent_. Jazlyn smiled at the older man. "I thought you were kidding."

"I have a sense of humor, but I don't joke about work." Justin gave her that Marauder-like smile again. "Anyway, it's basic procedure."

"Oh, maybe, but for someone so very new, I doubt it was wise," a female voice cut in. Jazlyn turned her head to see a woman with sequined glasses, curled blonde hair, and red, talon-like nails. She recognized Rita Skeeter.

"You should talk, Rita," Justin grumbled. He glared at the woman, his hazel eyes sparking. Rita smirked at him.

"Now, now, Justin, my choices in work are always wise. After all, I'm very well-known, aren't I?"

"It won't last, though," Jazlyn pointed out.

"Excuse me, little girl?" Rita spat.

"One day, someone will realize there's only just enough truth in your story to prevent a lawsuit, and barely enough even for that. The rest is exaggeration, if not all-out lying." Rita sputtered for a second, but then collected herself.

"Hmph. You're green as grass, little girl. You don't know a thing." With that, she stalked away. Justin chuckled.

"You hit a nerve there, Jazlyn. She's gonna hate you now."

"Do I look like I care?"

"Not in the least."

They got to work. Justin had a couple things he was doing research on before actually writing an article; for example, he was writing a piece on a new law that had just been passed putting more restrictions on enchanted objects (magic carpets were now illegal, among other things) and was checking up on precedents to reference in the final piece. Then Mr Darcy came out of his office and walked over to them.

"Temaida, there was a Death Eater attack in Brighton. I want you there to cover it."

"Darcy, you mean me and and Jazlyn," Justin corrected.

"No, Sayre, I don't. I need to know if the kid can handle Death Eaters." Justin opened his mouth to say something, but Mr. Darcy left.

"Jazlyn, I guess you'll have to go."

"Guess so," the young woman agreed. She sighed and Disapparated.

* * *

Having been to Brighton once, she'd been able to visualize her destination. Now, she looked up and saw a Dark Mark floating in the sky. "Shouldn't the Aurors have gotten rid of that?" she muttered.

She arrived on the scene as Ministry officials levitated bodies out the front door, two adult sized and one child sized.She shut her eyes for a moment before looking around. There were two people she recognized as Aurors; one was Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, and the other was a tall black man she didn't know. She walked over to them.

"I'm Jazlyn Temaida, reporter for the Daily Prophet. Can you tell me what happened?" Moody glared at her.

"People died here, girl! That's what happened. Shacklebolt, deal with this writer." The black man sighed. He put a large hand on Jazlyn's shoulder and steered her away from the irate senior Auror.

"Don't mind him," Shacklebolt said in a deep, slow voice. "He's just mad that the bastards got away." He sighed. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Who died here, and do you know any possible motive, or have any suspects? And I'll need your full name."

"My first name's Kingsley. As for who died... a Muggle family, the Kensingtons. A husband, wife, and their little boy, about five. We have no suspects as of yet; all we know is that the killer or killers were Death Eaters." Jazlyn nodded, scribbling on a notepad as he talked.

"Thank you for your time, Auror Shacklebolt," she said, before walking over to a different official, an Obliviator. "Sir, can you tell me..."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, she was back in the newsroom, putting a piece together from her notes. She finished it and gave it to Alan Cunningham, one of the editors, before going back to her seat and covering her face with her hands. She was trying not to think about that third levitated body. Shacklebolt had said the boy was about five. She didn't know how the Aurors dealt with that kind of thing. It made her sick.

"You OK?" Justin asked. "First Death Eater case is a bitch for all of us." She looked up at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You handled it better than I did. Mine had me running for the men's room."

"What...?"

"Torture. Killed one, drove the other mad."

"Merlin."

"Yeah. The Aurors... they get colder, I think, after a while. They distance themselves, or they quit."

"My boyfriend and his best friend are both in Auror training, along with two of my yearmates," she said, biting her lip. He frowned at her.

"Well, I didn't mean to scare you. A buddy of mine's an Auror. He's still mostly the same person. They have their work faces and their everyday life faces. I'm sure your boy and the others will stay the people you care about, they just might mature a bit more. And let's face it, we see some of the same things they do, and it changes us too." He smiled sadly. "Trust me. It's not as bad, but we have to see enough to tell people about it, and that's not always easy either." Jazlyn sighed.

"I didn't really think about that when I signed on."

"Is it enough to make you quit?"

"No."

* * *

Jazlyn's name was in print again the next morning, but she didn't feel quite the same thrill as she had the first time. She'd begun to realize that with the war on, everything would be touched by Voldemort's darkness. It bothered her, it really did. And she wished there was something she could do, but there wasn't.

A week passed, then two. She kept working with Justin, though Mr. Darcy was sending her out on her own more and more. She went out with Remus one night to celebrate his hiring at Gringotts, and visited Lily one Sunday because "Petunia's driving me mad with her wedding plans, and I need someone sane to talk to!" They both wished the Auror pre-training session would end - so did Remus, she knew, but he didn't admit it.

Then, she said good-bye to Justin one night and was walking out when someone grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss. A moment later, Sirius pulled away and grinned down at her. "Surprise?" She rolled her eyes, but laughed in spite of herself.

A/N: Sappy ending, I know, but I wanted him back in town. Am I the only one? Plus, I could see him just showing up, can't you?


	3. Next Step

Disclaimer: Not mine; I just like playing with it.

Warning: There is implied sex in this chapter. If that bothers you, then don't read, However, I do think it's appropriate to the T rating.

_**Chapter 3 - Next Step:**_ "When did you get back?" Jazlyn asked, half laughing. "And you can let go of me now, you know," she added dryly.

"No, I'd rather not let go if it's all the same to you. As for when I got back, just an hour or two ago. I went back to James' place, just to drop off my things, and I'd've been here right then if Mrs. Potter hadn't stopped me."

"That woman thinks she has two sons, doesn't she?"

"Yeah. But then James got away and headed for the Evans', and I came here. Looks like my timing was perfect, as usual."

"Arrogant prat."

"Nice."

"It's true."

"Maybe..." He let go of her - well, sort of. He grabbed her hand and began pulling her along.

"Uh, where are we going?"

"I don't know yet."

"Great..."

* * *

They wound up at the Leaky Cauldron. As it turned out, James had dragged Lily there too, and he'd called up Remus and Peter as well. It was basically as though they were still in school. James and Sirius talked about their training - "I doubt we'll ever need to navigate our way through the woods without magic, but we still had to learn..." - , Jazlyn told them about the Prophet, and Remus relayed stories of Gringotts. Sirius and James started discussing the pranks they wished they could play on the senior Aurors - though they weren't quite reckless enough to try it. Peter hung on their every word. Remus, Lily, and Jazlyn tuned them out after the first few minutes.

"So, Lily, have you started at St. Mungo's yet?" Remus asked.

"No, I'm waiting until after my sister's wedding. Petunia finds enough reasons to yell at me as it is. I just wish we could be like we were before I went to Hogwarts."

Jazlyn shook her head. "Lily, I know what you mean, but... it's not worth you feeling guilty, you know? She's the one with the problem."

"I thought I was the advice-giver in this group," Remus said, mock-angrily. The two young women smiled at him.

"Of course you are, Remus, but it's not fair that you should be the only one," Lily said lightly.

"Exactly," Jazlyn agreed.

"Exactly what?" James asked.

"Nothing," said Lily. James, Sirius, and Peter looked at them curiously for a moment before going back to their talk. Lily, Jazlyn, and Remus all rolled their eyes.

"Some things will never change," Remus mused. "Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail will never grow up."

"I heard that, Moony," Sirius complained, frowning at his friend.

"He's right, you know," Jazlyn said, smiling to show that she was teasing him. Sirius gave her a hangdog look - "That looks more convincing when you're transformed, mate," James remarked - that made her laugh.

* * *

The group broke up soon after that. Remus had to go to bed early for work, so he left first. Peter left soon after, muttering something about an interview. James and Lily headed for the Potters'; James' parents wanted to meet Lily properly. Sirius and Jazlyn were left alone.

"You remember I told you I bought a flat, right?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah. Why, want to show off your future abode?"

"Why not?"

She shook her head. "Well, all right." She followed him back into Diagon Alley. They walked along for a bit, before Sirius went behind a building. She followed him back there and up a staircase to a door. He pulled a key from his pocket and opened the door. The room they stepped into was dark. Sirius fumbled for a switch.

"Electricity? Your parents would be scandalized," Jazlyn said, in a passable imitation of Lucius Malfoy's drawl. Sirius frowned at her.

"When did you learn how to do that?"

"I'm a woman of many talents."

"Oh really?"

"Mind out of the gutter, Black."

"I said nothing. Maybe you're the one with your mind in the gutter."

"Hmph." She looked around the room. "I'm assuming you're a construction zone?" she said mildly. There were paint cans, unassembled furniture, and the like scattered about what she guessed would become the living room.

"Yeah. James is going to come over and help. They gave us one day off... apparently they think we need to rest up for what's coming next."

"You probably do. You know, ever since Nymph found out you were going for an Auror, she's been wanting to. Andie's mad at you."

He laughed. "She'll change her mind."

"Maybe, if Nymph does."

"She's eight."

"But she's stubborn."

"Oh, like her cousin?" He smiled mischievously.

"Like both the cousins she sees," she retorted acidly. She walked away from him, down the hall. There wasn't much; a bathroom and two bedrooms. She frowned. "Why two bedrooms?"

"Guest room, office if I wind up needing one. I don't know."

She nodded and looked into the second room. "Why is it that the only piece of furniture you've put together is the bed? I thought you were staying with the Potters till this was done."

"Yeah." He smiled again, a different smile. "But I figured I might stay here some nights."

"Oh?" she said mildly. "What, if you get too caught up in construction?"

"Yeah, but..." The smile changed again. She'd never seen this look before.

"Oh, I get it." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Told you it was your mind in the gutter."

"I won't argue."

"We're not playing around anymore, are we?"

"I'm not, are you?" He was watching her intently, his smoke gray eyes nearly black. She felt nervous, but not in a bad way, They'd never really... the boarding school setting wasn't conducive to more than make-out sessions in broom cupboards, really. Oh, she knew people went past that, but it was just not...

_Not what? Not proper? Well, this technically isn't_, she thought dizzily, as her boyfriend crossed the space between them and pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back, stronger, harder than she;'d ever done, and his response matched hers. She made a sound like a purr as they moved back towards the bed...

* * *

Later, Sirius woke up wondering what was tickling his nose. He breathed in, smelling vanilla, and his eyes snapped open. He was staring at bronze waves of hair. Jazlyn. Oh, right... how in the Hell had he forgotten about that? Being asleep was an excuse, he supposed. He closed his eyes again, but something was bothering him now. Something she'd said... after. _Je t'aime_. It was French, he knew that, but what did it mean, exactly?

* * *

They were both woken the next morning by a voice calling, "Paddy? Mate, why didn't you come back last night?"

"_Merde_," Jazlyn whispered, leaping out of bed and getting dressed. Sirius shook his head.

"There you go with the French again. What does _je t'aime _mean?"

Jazlyn looked over at him, debating. Finally she just said, "Ask me again sometime." They were both dressed when James burst in.

"Sir- Oh." It was, Jazlyn reflected, the first time she'd seen James look so... awkward. "Uh, hi, Jaz. I didn't expect... er..."

"Hi, James." She glanced at her watch. "Damn, I have to go." She waved her wand at her clothes, smoothing the wrinkles and changing the color, so it would seem to be a new outfit. She kissed Sirius and waved to James before Disapparating.

"That was sudden," James remarked.

"Yeah."

"Did you plan this, mate?"

"Not exactly plan... I don't know. James, do you know what_ je t'aime _means?"

"No. Maybe Lily or Remus will. Where'd you hear it?"

"From Jaz."

"Ah. I don't need to know more. So, should we get to work making this place habitable?"

A/N: OK, I'm not sure how much I like this one. I like most of it, except the bedroom scene... ack. Oh, well. R&R!


	4. Coils Within Coils

Disclaimer: Not mine; I just like playing with it.

_**Chapter 4 - Coils Within Coils:**_ Jazlyn mentally kicked herself as she headed into work. Sirius didn't speak French, she knew, but it wouldn't be hard for him to get one phrase translated. And if he did... She sighed as she sat down. She was being stupid. Why did she think it would be so bad if he knew she was in love with him? She was pretty sure he loved her too, even if the words had never been said. And she'd already admitted she loved him; she'd told Remus when he'd asked her what she was going to do about Regulus. Why wasn't she worried about that? _Because Remus may be Sirius' friend, but you know he'd never say anything. And his knowing doesn't put you at risk._ But if Sirius knew, and she was wrong about how he felt... She didn't even want to think about it.

"Kid, you OK?" Justin asked, concerned. "You look worried."

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Trouble with your boy?"

"No. Just me being paranoid," she said with a slight smile.

* * *

The days passed. Soon, Jazlyn had settled into a routine. She went to work and back to Andie's every day. She rarely saw Sirius during the week, thanks to training, but sometimes she'd meet Lily or Remus for lunch. She spent most of the weekend with Sirius, though. Andie wanted to know when they were moving in together. Jazlyn never answered, because she and Sirius had never discussed it either. Andie knew that, and it worried her. She wasn't sure if Sirius was being thick or if Jazlyn was getting over-cautious, but the result wouldn't be good if they didn't cut it out.

One Friday night, all six young men and women were at the Leaky Cauldron again when an owl swooped down and dropped a letter in front of them. It was addressed to all of them, so James picked it up and read it in an undertone

_Dear Misters Black, Lupin, Pettigrew, Potter, and Misses Evans and Temaida,_

_I would be very grateful if you could come to see me in my office at Hogwarts tonight at 8:00. The password is Licorice Wands. I have an offer I would like to make the six of you. _

_Thank you in advance, _

_**Albus Dumbledore**_

"Well, that's odd," Sirius remarked. He looked at the others. "What d'you think he wants?"

"Who knows?" Remus said, shrugging. "Are we going?"

"Well, I am," Jazlyn put in. "If Dumbledore wants to see us, I'm sure it's for a good reason."

"It seems a bit dodgy, though," said James, frowning. "I mean, I agree, but why's he being so mysterious?"

"Because he's Dumbledore?" Jazlyn replied. "Who knows?"

"I agree," Peter said, his voice an octave higher than usual. "We should go. It's not going to be anything bad, not if it's Dumbledore."

"We should at least go out of courtesy," Lily added. So it was decided. They would go. As it was nearly eight already, they Disapparated, landing in Hogsmeade. Then they proceeded up to the castle. They got to the gargoyle at exactly eight. "Licorice Wands," said James. "What is it with his candy passwords anyway?" he added to the others.

The spiral staircase took them up to the door, where James knocked. "Come in," Dumbledore called.

"Ah, I'm glad you decided to come. Please, come in," he said. It was a bit crowded, but they managed. "Now, I'm sure you are all wondering why I asked you to come tonight, but unfortunately, you must be patient for just a little longer. I'm still waiting on two more guests." He looked around at them all and frowned. "Hmm, perhaps this room is too small." He waved his wand and the room widened. He conjured chairs and urged them to sit. A few minutes later, Frank Longbottom and Alice Campbell walked in.

"Sorry we're late, sir," Frank began, stopping in shock when he saw the others.

"I'm glad to see you lot here too," Alice said, smiling at them all. Dumbledore smiled as well and waved the new arrivals into seats. Then he folded his hands on his desk and surveyed them all over the top of his spectacles. Once again Jazlyn felt as though he was seeing right through her; through them all.

"I've asked you here tonight to invite you to join a secret organization. Now, don't be alarmed; this is nothing like what you may be thinking. I assure you, this organization is not clandestinely plotting to rule the world. It is called the Order of the Phoenix, and I created it a few years back to combat Voldemort and his Death Eaters. You eight are here because from what I saw of you in school, I thought you could well be interested. Now, if any of you choose not to be involved, I'm afraid I must modify your memory, if only to protect anyone here who does wish to join."

"What does this Order do?" Sirius asked. "Is it like the Auror force?"

"Yes and no, Mr. Black. Our only concern is Voldemort and his followers; we have no other targets. Not all of us are professional fighters, though we know how to duel. You do not have to choose between being an Auror and being in the Order; it can only be a good thing to have people who are both, especially since I suspect thatVoldemort will try to infiltrate the Ministry."

"But we've got Aurors, why...?" Frank trailed off.

"Because, Mr. Longbottom, the Ministry as a whole has not proven itself very capable of dealing with Voldemort." The novice Aurors bristled, and he held up a hand. "Most of the Auror force is well-trained; some of them are also Order members. However, the bureaucrats who make up the Ministry control them, and they are the main problem."

"This group's against the Ministry then? "Jazlyn asked.

"No, we are only against Voldemort. We all want the same thing; this time of darkness ended. The Order simply has more freedom because we are not so regulated."

"It makes sense," Lily said. "I mean, the Ministry does seem several steps behind Voldemort at every turn."

"Exactly, Miss Evans, a situation that cannot be allowed to continue," Dumbledore agreed, nodding. "I must speak to Professor McGonagall about the new admissions, so if you'll excuse me? I ask that you take advantage of my absence to come to a decision." He left.

"Well, I'll do it," Lily said when the door had shut. James nodded.

"So will I. Who else?"

"You know I'm in, mate," Sirius said.

"I'm going to join too," Frank said.

Remus, Jazlyn, Alice, and Peter looked at each other. It was, Jazlyn reflected, only the second time she seemed to be in accord with Peter on something. And the first time had also been today. The fact was, this needed some thought. It was a noble cause, certainly, but what could she do? She was just a reporter. How could she help fight this war? The others, except for Peter, made sense. All of them save Lily and Remus were training as Aurors, but Remus' Curse Breaking job at Gringotts qualified him, and Lily's Mind Healer training would cover basic physical care as well. Peter... he was nondescript, maybe a spy? Though that could be her role as well, she realized. As a journalist, she would see things. Maybe she would be called on to investigate a scene for the Order and her cover could be that she was writing a story. Maybe. But still...

Her heart caught in her chest as she remembered a tiny body on a stretcher. A five-year-old boy who would never get to experience real life, all because Voldemort and his followers had executed him, for the crime of being a Muggle. She'd wanted to do something then. This Order would give her the chance to do just that.

"I'm up for it," she said quietly.

"So am I," Remus agreed.

"It's what I've already signed up for, so why not?" Alice put in. There was a pause. Peter looked scared, but then he nodded, his expression determined.

"I'll do it too," he said.

When Dumbledore came back, the determined expressions on the faces of the young men and women he'd gathered together told him their answer before James said, "Sir, you have eight more for this Order."

"Excellent. We meet here at Hogwarts, in the Transfiguration classroom, every Wednesday afternoon at 6:30. You will receive more information then. I would suggest that now, though, you head home." They left.

* * *

At Sirius' apartment, all of them, except Frank and Alice, met in the living room. "So, we go back to our lives until Wednesday, I guess," said Lily.

"Yeah," said Remus. He looked at his watch. "Oh, I have to go, I'm sorry. I've got to pack."

"Pack?" Jazlyn asked.

"Yeah, I'm being sent to Egypt for a week, to make some pick-ups. I'll get back just in time for the first meeting." He left. A few minutes later, Peter left too, saying he had an interview to prepare for.

"Didn't you just have one a few days ago?" Lily said, frowning.

"Yeah, well... I want to keep my options open, you know?" he said, and hurried away.

"Jumpy, isn't he,?" murmured Jazlyn, eyes narrowed.

"Oh, stop being so paranoid. He probably can't believe he agreed to join the Order. You know Peter. It's nothing," Sirius said confidently. "He'll handle it, but it'll take at least a month." Why was she so worried about someone afraid of his own shadow? Remus, though, was acting a little off...

Jazlyn didn't argue, but she didn't like it. She couldn't say why, but she didn't.

"I wonder why Remus never mentioned the trip before," James said, frowning.

"It probably slipped his mind," Lily said.

"That's not like Moony, though," Sirius argued.

"Now who's being paranoid?" Jazlyn retorted. "What, you think he's up to something?" Peter was one thing, he always seemed a little untrustworthy, if only because he was such a coward; but certainly Remus was above suspicion?

"Speaking of paranoid, are we all going to be as bad they say Moody is now?" Lily cried, frustrated. "I trust all of you, and Remus, and Peter. So unless any of you has someone in that list they don't trust, relax!" They changed the subject, but that didn't stop them from wondering...

* * *

Peter shifted to rat form almost immediately. He was both terrified and thrilled as he scurried through the London streets. He found a dark corner, returned to human form, and Disapparated. He rematerialized on the doorstep of a forbidding manor house. He knocked on the door and Bellatrix Black - or rather, Lestrange, as she'd just been married - answered. "Oh, it's you," she snarled. "Have you any useful information?"

"Yes, I do," he said. She let him in and he told her everything about the night's meeting, except the location of the regular meetings. For some reason, he couldn't say it.

"It must be protected by the Fidelius Charm," Bella said with a scowl.

"But the boy has done well, well enough to join my ranks," said a high, cold voice. Lord Voldemort strode into the room.

"My Lord," Bella whispered, bowing. Peter bowed as well.

"Peter Pettigrew, look at me," said the Dark Lord silkily. Peter looked into that snake's face, those scarlet eyes, and quivered inwardly. "Bare your left forearm." Peter did so. Lord Voldemort pressed the tip of his wand to Peter's arm, and a searing pain erupted from the point where wand tip touched skin. Peter drew in breath to scream, but fear strangled the scream unborn. "Welcome to the Death Eaters, Peter Pettigrew," Lord Voldemort whispered as he stepped back. Peter dropped to his knees, bowing his head.

"Thank you, Master," he whispered. There, on his forearm, burned the Dark Mark.

* * *

Meanwhile, Remus was packing for his trip. He was excited to see Egypt, and slightly nervous about what he'd just done. He knew it was the right thing, but he wasn't sure how useful he'd be to the Order. After all, they fought for the Light; he was a Dark creature, whether he wanted to be or not. _So that means I have even more of a responsibility, because of all my kind who harm others_, he told himself firmly. _Like Greyback_, he added, feeling a shiver of hate run through him. Remus Lupin disliked a fair amount of people, but he only hated one. That one person was Fenrir Greyback, and he couldn't deny that this hatred was part of his reason for joining the Order of the Phoenix. After all, Greyback was allied with Voldemort. This Order might provide Remus the only chance he'd ever have for revenge on the being who had cursed him to always be an outsider, even among those he loved best.

He told himself it was fine, that hatred, in this case of family, was almost certainly part of what drove Sirius to fight against Voldemort, him and maybe even Jazlyn. Lily had Muggle family and friends. She must hate Voldemort for his prejudices. James, he knew, had lost an uncle to Grindelwald and his one cousin, that man's only son, to Voldemort; Peter probably thought they'd toss him aside if he didn't join. Frank and Alice... he didn't know about them. But he didn't want Voldemort to win. He'd done the right thing, and mostly for the right reasons. He had nothing to feel guilty for.

What none of them, not Remus, Peter, James, Sirius, Lily, or even Jazlyn, the girl who'd made reading the world around her a vocation, knew was what the events of that night would do. The choice to align themselves firmly to one side or another had been long in coming, and didn't change much. But something else did. Lily's words had caused James, Sirius, and Jazlyn to stop speculating on the actions of Remus and Peter for a little while. But soon, James and Sirius would talk about their fears, and Jazlyn would analyze her own in silence before trying to defend her position. But by then, the events set in motion that night were heading toward their inexorable conclusion, with no hope of stopping them left. The seeds of suspicion had been planted that night, and the results would be disastrous.

A/N: I hope the abrupt shift into third-person omniscient for the final paragraph wasn't too confusing. Also, if anyone reads Dumbledore's description of the Order and says that they were watchig the Ministry too, that was the second war, when the Ministry was more or less their enemy. Not to say that they aren't in this time, but he doesn't want to give away too much right off the bat. R&R!


	5. Order of the Phoenix

Disclaimer: Not mine; I just like playing with it.

_**Chapter 5 - Order of the Phoenix:**_ Jazlyn woke up Wednesday morning wondering for a moment why she was so tense. Then she remembered. The first Order meeting was today. Damn it all. She still wondered if she'd made the right choice. After all, she wasn't the best dueler. She was decent, good enough when angered, which explained the incidents with Severus and Bella not all that long ago. But... she just wasn't sure if she was cut out for this.

The day passed in somewhat of a haze. She did her work on autopilot. There was no leaving the newsroom today; she was just finishing up on a story. Thank Merlin. "Hey, kid, you O.K.? You seem off," Justin said to her.

"No, I'm fine," she lied. He seemed to believe her. She hoped he did, anyway. If he didn't, she might have to come up with a cover story later.

At 6:00, she left work for Hogwarts. She reached the Transfiguration classroom to find it empty save for a pair of lanky red-haired twins. She smiled as she recognized Fabian and Gideon Prewett. The boys had been sixth years when she started Hogwarts, and the reason the Marauders had not become the school's top pranksters until their third year. Fabian and Gideon had held the title.

"Hey, Jazlyn!" Fabian said, grinning. "What's this we hear about you hooking up with our cousin?" Jazlyn frowned before remembering that the Blacks and Prewetts were cousins by marriage.

"Somehow, I never thought to see you with someone as crazy as Sirius," Gideon put in, smirking. "Remus Lupin, maybe, but..." Jazlyn rolled her eyes.

"What can I say? Opposites attract," she said. The twins chuckled. "So, how's Molly?" Jazlyn asked. "I hear she had two more kids recently.

"Yeah, twin boys," Fabian said.

"Fred and George, she named them," said Gideon. "We're going to make them top pranksters."

"I'm sure," Jazlyn drawled. "I'd best see if I can get in touch with Molly, tell her to avoid the Marauders at all costs. You two are bad enough influences."

"Hey, you're a Marauder, too," said James, coming in with Lily. "Sirius'll be along in a moment, he's being told off by Moody."

"For what?" Jazlyn said. James snickered.

"Um... he finally got sick of Warren's arrogance." Warren, she remembered, was an Auror only a year out of training who treated new Aurors like dirt. She closed her eyes.

"I don't want to know," she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose while the Prewett twins laughed and asked what Sirius had done. Jazlyn tuned them out and turned to Lily. "So, Lil, how've you been?"

"Fine, still dealing with Petunia. She tried to stop me bringing James, but I promised Mum and Dad that we'd both dress as and act like we're Muggles." She scowled. "Which we would have done anyway, but I thought giving my word was a good idea."

"What was a good idea?" Sirius asked, coming with Frank and Alice. He strode over to Jazlyn and slid an arm around her waist. She grinned at him.

"Promising to play Muggle at that bitch Petunia's wedding," explained James. "Merlin, I hate her," he muttered.

"Oh, that," said Sirius. "So, where's Remus and Peter?"

As though his words had called them, the other two Marauders arrived. Remus looked tired. "Portkey-lag," he explained. "The time difference is bothering me. Egypt was amazing, though," he added, smiling.

"I'm sure it was, but did you have time for anything besides work?" Sirius asked. Remus looked confused, because there was something odd in Sirius' voice.

"No, not really," he said.

"So, Peter, how'd that interview go?" Jazlyn asked pleasantly.

"Oh, fine," said Peter. "Though I don't know if I got the job."

Their conversation was cut off as Dumbledore entered with McGonagall, Alastor Moody - Sirius flinched at the senior Auror's appearance - , Kingsley Shacklebolt, and several others Jazlyn couldn't identify. Dumbledore shut the door and cast wards around the room so they wouldn't be heard.

The meeting began. Jazlyn found that it wasn't exactly what she'd expected. There were introductions made, reports from long-term members, but not much plotting. She did notice, however, that the Order was keeping quite a close eye on the Ministry, a far closer eye than Dumbledore's words a week earlier would have suggested. She glanced at the Auror trainees in the room; they looked edgy. But Kingsley and Moody didn't look fussed, so they relaxed.

Then Dumbledore brought her up. Her and the other new people, that was. "Well, I'm sure you've noticed our latest additions. As Misters Potter, Black, Longbottom, and Miss Campbell are Aurors, I will leave their assignments to you, Alastor," Dumbledore said. "Miss Evans, I understand you are going to be involved in Healing after your sister's wedding?" Lily nodded. "Once you are in St. Mungo's, I will have a better idea as to what assignments will work for you. Mr. Lupin, as your job involves dealing with goblins and the occasional trip abroad, your jobs will center on overtures to the goblins and foreign wizards. Mr. Pettigrew... I believe you can be of use in intelligence operations, as you are seemingly unobtrusive. Miss Temaida, you too will be involved in intelligence, under cover of your reporter job." At that, Moody fixed Jazlyn with his magical eye, obviously recognizing her.

The meeting adjourned soon after. Moody took the time to come over to Sirius and Jazlyn. "Black, you'd better behave yourself now," he growled. "And Temaida, glad to see you've decided to be of some use to the world." He stumped off.

"What was that about?" asked Sirius. Jazlyn explained about her last meeting with the grizzled old Auror.

"He doesn't like reporters, apparently," she said, shrugging. "With people like Rita Skeeter about, I can understand why."

"But that's not you," Sirius argued.

"I know, but she gives us all a bad name. It's nothing." She grinned. "Don't say anything. From what I hear, you're in enough trouble with him as is."

"I'm always in trouble."

"Sirius... this isn't school anymore, and Moody can do worse than detention."

"I think, Padfoot, that must be Jazlyn's polite way of telling you to grow up," Remus said, catching up to them. They turned to look at him.

"Or maybe you're interpreting it that way, since you say it so often," Sirius rejoined. He was grinning, but there was a bit of a bite to his voice.

"Hey, something wrong?" Jazlyn asked.

"No, nothing," Sirius said. "Why?"

"You seem to be in a bad mood," Remus said, his voice holding a note of caution.

"Oh, no, just stressed. Jaz is right, I do need to stay out of trouble."

"Well, that's not any fun, but unfortunately necessary," said James. He and Lily, along with Peter, had now joined them. The six of them walked out of the castle and through the grounds, heading for Hogsmeade, where they could Apparate.

"So, what do you lot think?" Peter asked.

"I'm not sure... I don't like all the spying," said Lily, frowning. "I mean, You- Voldemort is one thing, but the Ministry...?"

"Problem is, people like the Malfoys, for example, can influence the Ministry, and we all know what side they'll be on," Jazlyn pointed out. They all shared dark looks.

"And they're not the only ones," Sirius muttered.

"Naturally," Jazlyn agreed.

"Well, for now, I vote we just go with the flow. I trust Dumbledore; he wouldn't make us do something that wasn't worthwhile," James said confidently.

"Unless it involves lemon drops," Remus amended. And on that note, they Disapparated.

A/N: OK, I'm not too sure about this one. Oh, well. R&R!


	6. In the Line of Duty

Disclaimer: Not mine; I just like playing with it.

_**Chapter 6 - In the Line of Duty:**_ Being in the Order didn't change Jazlyn's daily life, at least not at first. She kept working, only now, if she saw something suspicious, she sent reports to Dumbledore. Soon, she was going out on her own all the time, though she knew Justin would always be willing to give her advice if she needed it. It was good to know.

She and Sirius were stuck, it seemed. She spent most of her weekends with him in his flat, but he hadn't asked her to move in permanently, and she wasn't the type to bring it up. He was continuing his Auror training, and she had begun to see, with both him and James, what Justin had said about Aurors. They did change. And she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Maybe it was just growing up. She couldn't pretend she hadn't changed since they'd left school, after all.

She found herself growing closer to Lily, who was getting more and more fed up with her sister. It was nice, rekindling a friendship that had ended so long ago, though things were very different now. Jazlyn sometimes thought how odd it was to be with just Lily, when during their last year, they'd always been around at least one Marauder, and back in first year, Severus had always been there.

Things were good, for the most part. Then, one night, she was heading home when a voice said, "Temaida?" She whirled to see Graeme Lawrence, an Order member.

"Lawrence? What's going on?"

"I think I've caught sight of a Death Eater, and I was about to send for backup."

"Oh, well... where did you see the Death Eater?" He studied her for a second, and then beckoned for her to follow.

They left Diagon Alley behind and turned into Knockturn Alley, which was hardly a surprise. That was when they saw the cloak whipping around the corner. Exchanging a swift glance, the two Order members sped up - and walked right into a trap.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was talking to some of his newest Order members, specifically Frank Longbottom, James Potter, and Sirius Black. In short, the Aurors-in-training. Alice Campbell was absent because she was on an assignment. He had decided it was time to let them in on the fact that their positions were more precarious than he had originally led them to believe.

It was Frank who spoke first. "So, we're to be spies in our own government?" he asked. "Headmaster, with all due respect, you never said a word about this."

"I know that I did not, Mr. Longbottom. However, it is something you will have to accept. I am not asking that you betray your coworkers. I merely want you to watch for signs that Voldemort has infiltrated the Ministry."

"So you think he has, or will, Sir?" James said, hazel eyes worried.

"Well, it's not too much of a shock," Sirius said thoughtfully. "Abraxas Malfoy's always down there, always giving money to some charity or other. So are my parents, and we know their leanings."

Dumbledore nodded. "Exactly. And I -" He was cut off when a smoke-gray beaver Patronus came straight through the window. Albus felt a chill. He had seen message Patronuses that color before, and it meant the caster was dead. He also knew who that beaver belonged to. _Oh, Graeme, you have always been one to rush into things... _

"Dumbledore, Death Eaters... Knockturn Alley..." the beaver whispered. The young men stared at it in shock. He'd explained the message Patronuses before, and they too knew what the color meant. "Need backup... me'n new girl... Temaida."

And the second that name was out of the beaver's mouth, the message ended. It faded to nothing, and there was a loud bang as Sirius Black stood so fast he knocked over his chair. Without a word, he had left the office at a full-out run. "Sirius!" James called, vainly trying to stop his friend.

"We'll follow him," Frank said, standing. "Come on." He glanced at the Headmaster as an afterthought, realizing that maybe he should ask for permission.

"Go. Mr. Black will need help if Death Eaters are still there."

* * *

She didn't know why things were so blurry. She didn't wear glasses, after all... But no. Of course not. It was coming back now, in pieces. Lawrence, showing up, her following him into Knockturn Alley... Death Eater trap. _And Severus is better at __Sectumsempra__ than I knew. Knew just where to hit, too. Bleeding out slow, and I've already lost enough that I'm too weak to move... Killed by an old friend. Always thought it would be Bella, though..._ She would never see her friends again. She would never see Sirius again. And she'd never told him...

Sirius ran straight for the one-eyed witch passage. It seemed to take forever to reach the end of the tunnel, though he ran most of it as a dog. When he reached the spot under the trapdoor, he turned back and Disapparated.

He was at the junction between Diagon and Knockturn Alleys. No one was around - the part of his mind trained in rational thinking by the Aurors supposed this was because being in Knockturn Alley was a dead giveaway. But he didn't care if anyone saw him, if they drew the wrong conclusions. He kept on running, until he tripped over something soft. _Merlin, please, not..._ He stared down into open, glazed-over blue eyes. He hated himself for being relieved. Lawrence, not Jazlyn. So maybe...

A few yards away, shadow covered the ground. But he saw a hand, a slender, still hand he knew very well. "Jaz..."

He ran over to her. Her eyes were closed, which meant she hadn't been hit with the Avada Kedavra. Then he saw the wound, a deep gash running diagonal across her chest and stomach. He recognized _Sectumsempra_, and vowed to kill Snape if he ever saw him again. But while this thought was in his mind, he cast the spell to heal those wounds. He was trying to decide if he should wait for backup or go straight to the hospital - he wasn't sure what they might do to Jaz if they thought the circumstances were suspicious; maybe Dumbledore had contingency plans for things like this.

A soft moan drew his attention back to Jazlyn. Her eyes were open and staring at him. "Jaz... just hang on, all right? You're going to be fine." A slight smile quirked her lips.

"Not so sure..."

"Well, don't waste energy talking!" he snapped.

"I never... never told... I..." She couldn't breathe, but she had to tell him... but everything was going black now, and she just wanted to sleep... Her eyes slid shut and her breathing stopped.

"Sirius, let's go!" A hand locked around his wrist and next thing he knew, he was in St. Mungo's, in a chair. James was crouched in front of him, hazel eyes worried. "Sirius, mate?"

Sirius looked away. "Go away, James." His voice was flat. If he'd been faster, if he'd just gotten her to the damned hospital rather than worried about the stupid Order...

"Sirius, they got her back. Jaz'll be fine."

* * *

She was lying in a bed. Something about the silence around her told her she wasn't at Andie's, and made her think of a hospital. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The room was a ward of St. Mungo's, so she'd been right. Someone's hand was curled around her own. She looked over. Sirius was slumped in a chair next to her bed, asleep.

She tried to move her hand, and he snapped awake. "Huh? Wha- Jaz?" He noticed she was awake.

"Hi," she said, trying to sit up.

"Whoa, what are you-?" But she had already succeeded. "Should you be moving before the Healer shows up?"

"You're acting like my mother."

"Jaz, you nearly died! You did die, but the Healers brought you back!" A shadow crossed his face. "Damn it, what were you thinking two nights ago!? You're not a damned Auror, Jaz!"

"No, I'm not, but I am -" she lowered her voice. "- in the Order. Fighting Dark wizards is my job too, now," she told him firmly.

"No, it's not. You're supposed to gather intelligence. That's what Dumbledore said."

"He also said we all have to be willing to fight."

"But not just to jump in recklessly! Damn it, Jaz, I thought I'd lost you. What do you think that did to me?"

"What do you think it will do to me if you get yourself killed on an Auror mission!?" she retorted.

"That's different!"

"How? How exactly is it different?"

"I love you, that's why!"

"Well, I love you too, so the question remains. I thought you'd know that by now."

"You never told me!"

"Yes, I did."

"When?"

"_Je t'aime_ means 'I love you' in French." She flushed. "I thought you'd have gotten that translated."

"No, I was waiting for you to tell me. Jaz, please promise me you won't do anything like this again."

"Sirius, you know I can't." He started to argue, but she just looked at him. Finally, he sighed.

"Fine. Just don't do it without me. Or at least a Marauder."

"What about Lily?"

"Honorary Marauder."

"All right, I can do that. Or I can try."

He knew it was the best he could hope for. "Good. I guess I should go let the others know."

"Oh, so I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, in about five minutes. They're in the tearoom." She smiled.

"Of course they are."

"So, I'll see you in a minute. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Oh, good, English."

"Shut up."

A/N: OK... well, the scene where Jaz nearly died was similar to the original end to this fic, before I decided to blend it with the Ambryn story arc. The original plotline ended with Jazlyn dying during the war, before Lily and James. Obviously, I scrapped that, but part of it came back for this. Never know what you might reuse, eh? And in case you're wondering what nearly killed Jaz even though her wounds were healed, that would be the blood loss. R&R!


	7. Changes

Disclaimer: No, not mine... though I wish a certain Marauder was. Well, actually, I can't decide between the dog and the wolf. Damn.

_**Chapter 7 - Changes:**_ Andromeda gave Jazlyn a knowing smile as she helped her pack. "Took long enough," she teased.

"What?" Jazlyn was going to play stupid as long as she could, though she knew what Andi was on about.

"You, moving in with Sirius. It took long enough."

"Do shut up, dear cousin." But Jazlyn was smiling.

"I'm sorry, but this is the last chance I'll get to tease you."

"Andi, I'll visit. You know that."

"I know." Andi smiled, a little sadly. "But it... I'm sorry. I'm really happy for you, it's only that..."

"Me being here's the first time you've had family staying with you besides your own family since you got disowned. I get it." Jazlyn gave her older cousin a knowing look. Andi always seemed so at peace with her life, but Jazlyn knew that her older cousin regretted the loss of her family, no matter how twisted the Blacks - and the Temaidas - were.

"Hello? Anyone home?" The voice calling up the stairs belonged to Sirius. Before either woman could respond, they heard the sound of a child running down the hall.

"Hi, Sirius!"

"Hi there, Nymph. Tell me, where's Jaz and your mum?"

"In Jaz's room. They're packing."

"You mean they aren't done yet?"

"Shut up, Padfoot," Jazlyn said, sticking her head out of the doorway.

"Oh, Sage, you're no fun," he pouted. She'd mentioned her cat alias to the Marauders, who now insisted on using it. Lily was now muttering about needing a nickname as well as an Animagus form. James had apparently made a suggestion in private, but Lily turned crimson whenever he tried to mention it. Sirius, of course, kept on trying to pry, but Jazlyn was doing her best to stop him.

"So," Sirius said now as he walked into the room, "what's taking so long? Shoes?"

"No, since it's Jazlyn, we're talking books," Andi said with a grin. Jazlyn groaned. Not that she wasn't used to friendly teasing by now, but to get it from all sides at once was just ridiculous!

"Well, I see you both plan to torment me today. Maybe I should go stay in the Muggle world with Lily."

"No, don't! I swear I'll stop teasing you," Sirius said dramatically, grabbing her hand in both of his and trying the puppy dog look.

"Yes, and then I'll wonder who has replaced my boyfriend."

"Not funny in this day and age," Sirius pointed out. She flinched.

"I understand that you're an Auror, Sirius, but you two are too young to let the war rule everything about your lives," Andi said firmly. "Now, the packing is done, and you two lovebirds should get going." She smiled. "Go on, then!"

With a wand-wave, Jazlyn's bags were gone, and then Sirius left, knowing that she wanted to say good-bye to Andi. "Andi... thanks for letting me stay."

"Anytime, Jazlyn. I'm proud of you, you know."

"You are?"

"Yes. You've finally freed yourself from our family, you've learned to trust and to love, and you're starting a new life."

"A lot of changes," Jazlyn said with a slightly nervous laugh. "Part of me's still afraid I'll wake up and it'll all be just a dream," she confided.

"I know. I felt like that when I first left with Ted. It's hard to believe how good freedom feels, and harder to believe it's real because of that. Change is good, Jazlyn. And you'll be just fine."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you, and I know Sirius. You balance each other out, and that's important in a relationship. You two might even be meant for each other. If you believe in that sort of thing."

"What, destiny? I'm not sure. But I think you're right about Sirius and me. I hope so, anyway." The cousins shared one last hug, and then Jazlyn Disapparated.

* * *

Things did change, definitely. Living with Sirius was an adventure in itself. They clashed over little things - Jazlyn was extremely neat, for example, while Sirius was cheerfully messy - but their fights were never anything serious. They usually managed to make up before going to bed that night, and if they hadn't before, they usually made up in bed. That, of course, was a pleasant change.

But other than the new experiences of cohabiting, things were still more or less the same. Sirius graduated the training program and became a full-fledged Auror, while Jazlyn continued to move up at the paper. She worked on her own now all the time, though she talked to Justin often and went to him for advice whenever she was uncertain. Rita Skeeter kept trying to hassle her, but she just ignored the irritating blonde.

Sirius decided to have a flatwarming party a month after she moved in. "Isn't it a bit late for that? I've been here a month, you've been here since we left school, and you just now want a flatwarming?"

"Well, I was in training before and didn't have the time. But now I do."

"Full Aurors have more free time than trainees. That makes sense."

"Well, OK, no more time, but after training, the actual work is less exhausting."

"Oh. That makes more sense. And I guess towards the end, the fact that you weren't getting that much sleep anyway didn't help."

"No, but I'd be insane to complain about that," he said with a roguish grin. "So, how about it? A belated flatwarming party?"

She sighed. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

So they had a party. They invited friends from school - the Marauders and Lily, obviously, but also Frank and Alice, as well as several others from their year. A few Order members, like Fabian and Gideon, came too. She asked Justin, but he said he was too old to deal with so many young people. She laughed and said he was hardly old, but didn't push him.

At the party, Jazlyn stayed in the background, still a bit uncomfortable with crowds. Sirius had asked her if she was OK, and she'd assured him that she was, but she liked being on the sidelines. "You know me, always the observer."

"Are you all right, Lyn?" Lily asked, coming over to her.

"'Course, Lily, but you know me, parties aren't my thing. I prefer to watch."

"Yeah, but this is your party. Come on!" And Lily seized Jazlyn's hand, tugging her right into the middle of things. Somehow, she found herself with a bottle of butterbeer and engaged in a fierce debate with Fabian over whether Barty Crouch or Amelia Bones would make a better replacement for retiring Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold. She had fun interacting, though it wasn't her usual habit. And she had to conclude that Andi was right; change was good.

A/N: This is supposed to be transitional, which is why very little happens.


End file.
